Why Baseball Australia said no to alcohol advertising

It might be a well-worn
sporting idiom, but Baseball Australia is stepping up to the plate to protect
children from the harm of alcohol, and I for one, as the Chief Executive
Officer of Baseball Australia, could not be prouder.

Junior players
and the children and families who support Baseball in Australia are the past,
present and future of our sport.

In this, we are
not alone. Listen to the head of any sporting code in Australia, be it the
professional codes or my fellow National Sporting Organizations in the so
called “second tier”, we are all family friendly and about the kids in our
sports.

But sporting administrators have a duty of care that goes beyond simply identifying and securing this audience for financial gain.

And it’s fair to ask why we don’t then see a greater alignment between the audience they covet and the values the codes represent.

Our junior
competition program Little League,
which is part of the broader Little
League International platform, promotes values of citizenship, discipline,
teamwork and physical well-being.

We believe these
sporting values sum up how most of the eco-system of sport should be lived and
visible beyond our strategic plans. Which is why Baseball Australia has pledged
to no longer accept alcohol advertising at the national representative level of
the game.

In so doing we are
the first Australian sporting code to partner with the national campaign, End Alcohol Advertising in Sport, which
sends a strong message that Baseball Australia is proactively building a sport
and a business model for our sport that aligns to a family-friendly and
healthier sporting environment.

The partnership
with End Alcohol Advertising in Sport
will see the campaign promoted nationally at Little League games and on
Baseball Australia’s digital and media platforms. We will also promote this
crucially important campaign to baseball clubs and members throughout
Australia.

This is far from
an empty gesture. Testament to our serious resolve on alcohol advertising, we recently
rejected a sponsorship proposal with an overseas alcohol brand.

Extensive
research tells us that exposure to alcohol marketing leads kids to commence
drinking at an earlier age, more frequently and at dangerous levels.

We walked away because
alcohol is the major contributor to the three leading causes of death among
Australian teenagers: unintentional injury, homicide and suicide.

There are plenty
of avenues for alcohol advertising that don’t require Baseball Australia or
other sports that engage those under 18.

This is not
about prohibition – fans at the Australian Baseball League who choose to have a
beer at the game can still do so as part of the experience. This is no
different to dining out in any venue, club or other institution that serves alcohol
responsibly to those old enough to enjoy it.

The Perth Heat
in our ABL are already partnered with and have been for some time with Alcohol
Think Again organization as an example in our sport.

While Baseball
Australia is the first national sporting code to partner with the End Alcohol Advertising in Sport
campaign, I hope and fully expect that we will soon be joined by other national
codes.

Sporting administrators
have a duty to lead the organization for the betterment of those that enjoy and
play the sport.

This problem cannot be resolved on a case-by-case basis – our sports administrators must realise that the culture of alcohol and sport has to be changed from the top, which means taking serious action that changes the business of sport.

Only then can we
proudly execute our duty of care for the health and welfare of all players and our
cherished supporter base.

Cam Vale

Cam was appointed CEO at Baseball Australia in April 2017. He previously served as CEO Hockey Australia for three and a half years, and before that 5 years as COO at North Melbourne Football Club (including nine months as Interim CEO) and four years as CFO Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club.

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About Drink Tank

An initiative of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), Drink Tank aims to generate meaningful commentary and debate about alcohol policy, and to provide a platform for all members of the Australian community to share their views and concerns.